J. W. Hollis, Calhoun County, AR -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: Chicago: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889. Contributed by Carol Smith. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Calhoun County, Arkansas - from Goodspeed's History of Arkansas J. W. Hollis, a prominent planter of River Township, was born in Ouachita county, Arkansas in 1845,the fifth of a family of thirteen children born to Jeremiah and Sallie A. (Puckett) Hollis, natives of Tennessee, where the former followed farming until 1842. He then went to Mississippi and from there came to Arkansas, settling in Ouachita County, where he entered land and lived for seven years. He then bought a farm in what is known as River Township, consisting of 160 acres, and made extensive improvements on the place. He was the first sheriff of this county and served three terms; he was also the first postmaster of Locust Bayou post-office, serving for three years; he was also a justice of the peace in that township for a number of years. He died in 1883 and by his death the county lost one of her best known and most highly respected citizens. The mother died in 1886. Our subject was raised and lived on the farm, attending the common schools until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he enlisted in Company A, Twelfth Texas Troops and served in the Trans-Mississippi Department. He was in the battles of Mansfield, Little Rock, Pleasant Grove, Yellow Bayou (Louisiana) and with Gen. Price on his famous Missouri campaign, and participated in all the battles of that trip. His regiment surrendered at Marshall, Texas. Our subject then returned to Arkansas and engaged in farming for two years, and then went to Tennessee, where he remained for three years following various occupations, then he went to Texas and farmed for seven years, and in 1881 came back to Calhoun County, Arkansas and bought a farm of forty acres of land in River Township, most of it under cultivation. In 1869 he was married to Miss Mollie Hassell, a native of Tennessee, by whom he has four children; Minnie, Joseph, Jessie and Mary, all healthy, interesting children. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mr. Hollis takes a deep interest in religious and educational matters, and has been school director for nine years and takes an active part in promoting the public interests. He is now secretary of Calhoun County Wheel, Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union.